John Nielsen Jaguar Le Mans 24 Hours 1991

Jaguar is beginning to plan for its first bid for outright honors at the Le Mans 24 Hours since 1991, this week's AUTOSPORT magazine reveals.

The British manufacturer's Indian owner, Ratan Tata, and bosses at Jaguar parent company Tata Motors are known to be evaluating a return to the prototype ranks with an all-new LMP1 car.

AUTOSPORT understands that a decision has already been made in principle to mount an attack on the race in the future, although it is unclear what time frame Jaguar and Tata are working to.

A Jaguar spokesperson said: "We are monitoring developments in motorsport around the world."

Jaguar has seven Le Mans victories to its name, its most recent success coming in 1990 with the XJR-12. The marque was represented last year at Le Mans and the past two years in the American Le Mans Series by the GT effort of Paul Gentilozzi's Rocketsports team and its XKRS.